The Fog of Battle

I had a customer tell me this story. It was Christmas time, the wee hours of the morning, and they were home in bed asleep. Their newborn was also in a bassinet in the room. Needless to say, it had been a busy few weeks and mom and dad were worn out.

Suddenly, they hear a crash downstairs and the sound of glass breaking. Dad jumps out of bed and mom quickly grabs and cradles the baby tightly in her arms.

“What was that?! It sounded like someone broke a window! Is someone in the house?!”

Their hearts were racing and both were quickly trying to come up with a plan. Dad in defense mode. Mom in protect and flee mode. The questions ran through their heads:

Should we call 911 now?
What if there’s someone in the house? Do they have a gun? Is there more than one intruder?
When should we shoot and under what condition?
How do we get the baby out of the house and keep her warm in the cold?
What about our other kids?
What if one of us gets hurt?
Are we all going to die?

Dad quickly got his semi-automatic 9mm pistol out of the top dresser drawer, not exactly sure of the next steps he was going to take.

“Is this thing loaded and cocked?” he asked. “I can’t remember if I need to rack it or what!”

He pressed a button behind the trigger, which he thought was the safety. But it wasn’t. It released the magazine and it dropped onto the bed. His hands were shaking as he snatched up the magazine.

Embarrassed and stressed, he reloaded, and courageously proceeded down the steps only to find that there was nobody in the house. The Christmas tree had fallen on the floor and several glass ornaments had broken. They were lucky.

The couple learned a valuable lesson that night. They were tired, groggy, and when a potential emergency happened, they were not truly ready to act.

Both were familiar with operating a pistol and with basic security protocol compliant with Maryland law. But the heat of the moment exposed their lack of training and preparation. They did not have a plan. That had not discussed who would do what in such a circumstance. And they certainly had not practiced any plans.

Adrenaline and emotions were at their peak. And even after dad reset the tree and cleaned up the broken glass, they both lay in bed unable to fall back asleep for a couple hours.

“Even in daytime fighters do not perceive anything; indeed, nobody knows anything more than what is going on right around himself.” – Thucydides

It’s called the “fog of battle”. When under severe stress, your body shuts down complex cognitive functions and switches over into fight-or-flight threat-response mode. This is why it’s so important to PREPARE and TRAIN yourself for high-intensity situations so you can respond quickly and automatically. For many, it’s the difference between life and death for themselves and others depending on them.

That’s why your response must be automatic. And that can only be achieved with proper training in clear-headed circumstances. So you don’t have to think during a stressful circumstance, and your body will know what to do. We can help.

Get Prepared

Don’t put yourself in a desperate position. And don’t gamble with your family’s lives. Attend our next course and get trained properly – check the event calendar here and sign up!